Studies show that older workers are more susceptible to negative consequences from heat exposure, and building this understanding into a workplace heat illness prevention program is imperative to creating a robust plan.
OSHA does not have a standard specific to employee exposure to excessive temperatures, either hot or cold. Employers are responsible for furnishing their employees “employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm…” as stated in the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act of 1970. OSHA has used the General Duty Clause to cite employers who have allowed employees to be exposed to serious physical harm from excessively hot work environments.